Watkins: Nebraska replaced its stars with soldiers — and they aren't listening to the noise

MINNEAPOLIS — The lights in the Star City have lost their luster.

This time last year, Nebraska basketball was dripping in preseason juice. Bolstered by the highest-rated recruiting class in program history, multiple national analysts projected the Huskers as an NCAA tournament team (one even emceed their Opening Night event). Players spoke about leading the program to new heights and “killing the Big Ten,” as Trey McGowens said at last year’s Big Ten media days. And NU used the state capital’s nickname — “the Star City” — in a highlight video released before its first game that promoted a talent-teeming roster.

The video begins with a quote from coach Fred Hoiberg’s post-signing day press conference in 2020.

“We want to put ourselves in a position to compete for championships,” Hoiberg said then. “That’s why we took the job here. We want to take this program to where it’s never been before and compete for conference championships and national championships.”

Entering the 2022 season, those goals feel even more far-fetched coming off a 10-22 finish. The 2021 Huskers lost their direction under the spotlight they welcomed last offseason. Bryce McGowens could fly, and Alonzo Verge’s crossover was smooth and sudden. But those aesthetics didn’t matter for a team that lacked fundamentals, focus and fight.

NU trailed at halftime in 20 games last season. It won two, and it only won five of those 20 second halves.

“I think we let our hype get to us more than anything,” senior Derrick Walker said last week at Big Ten media days. “We were a talented group and we had some really good players, so I just thought everyone was gonna go out and just rely on those talents and we were just going to win without having to actually work the game for the full 40 (minutes).”

Hoiberg saw the hole in his culture, so he replaced his stars with soldiers. Nobody on Nebraska’s 2022 roster can break down a defender like Verge or McGowens, but these Huskers are better primed to follow a plan. They understand that their success depends on their teammates’, which Walker said was a theme on his Tennessee teams that went to the NCAA tournament.

Simultaneously, NU has turned the brightness down on its offseason. Hoiberg scratched last year’s “glorified all-star game” in favor of three-man weaves and closeout drills during this year’s Opening Night. The Huskers carry themselves with less bravado, too, and we haven’t heard a peep from the national media about Nebraska hype.

That’s partially because the Huskers, picked 14th in the preseason media poll, are managing different expectations (or lack thereof) this year. But in transfer point guard Sam Griesel’s mind, this NU team was built to thrive in the dark.

Griesel said this week that he would’ve laughed five years ago if somebody told him he would represent Nebraska at a Big Ten media event. Walker never envisioned playing a sizable role in a Division I offense after playing AAU ball with NBA stars Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr. And of Nebraska’s 13 scholarship players, nine came from the transfer portal, junior colleges or other postgrad academies.

That means they’ve been told “no” before, and they kept chugging. So entering this season, Griesel said, “we don’t hear the outside noise; it doesn’t mean anything to us.”

“Nobody’s ever won a title because they were picked first in a league or picked preseason number whatever,” Griesel said later. “It’s irrelevant. But if you want to look at it that way, we can use it as motivation, prove people wrong.

“I think that’s been the story of a lot of our guys' careers is proving people wrong and having that edge and going out there and working.”

Hoiberg’s war stories

Listening to Hoiberg spin Timberwolves tales gave a glimpse of the charm he shows recruits.

While describing Kevin Garnett’s intense focus, Hoiberg cupped both hands at his chest. Then they started trembling.

Garnett drank from two cups — one water, one Gatorade — on the bench. But he was too wired to remain still while watching.

“He would just sit there and shake,” Hoiberg said.

Winning record or not, those NBA war stories capture hoops heads’ attention.

Walker’s mood improves

Loved seeing a jovial Walker at media days. The sixth-year senior, so often trotted out as the team spokesman after tough losses, traded jokes with reporters and even flipped the press conference dynamic this week in Minneapolis.

“How do you guys come up with your questions?” Walker asked.

Griesel seems to be a big reason behind Walker’s improved mood. The North Dakota State transfer fills the holes Walker sees in his own leadership. Griesel always knows the right moment to rally the team and the right thing to say when that moment arrives, Walker said.

Watching Walker highlight Griesel’s broad arms at the podium, you could tell they’ve built a quick bond.

“You see the shoulders,” Walker said with two arms around his new teammate.

Then to Griesel: “I’m gonna have everybody talking about your shoulders.”

About that three-game winning streak

Penn State coach Micah Shrewsberry caught the 2021 Huskers at the wrong time.

Or, from his perspective: “We didn’t catch them,” Shrewsberry said. “They caught us.”

Nebraska beat Shrewsberry’s Nittany Lions 93-70 in Happy Valley on Feb. 27, which kick-started a three-game NU winning streak to close the regular season. For one week, the Big Ten’s worst offense during conference play shot 58% from the field and scored 81.7 points per game.

What changed?

“Confidence is a crazy thing, man,” Shrewsberry said. “... Sometimes when you go through this league, it’s not about the teams you play. Sometimes it’s about yourself, and sometimes it’s about when you play people.”

“Those dudes could hoop; they had good players. It didn’t work out — I don’t know why, I’m not there — but when they clicked, they were clicking, and that’s when we caught them.”

Or, rather, when they caught him.

Coaches unhappy with venue

According to Jeff Goodman of Stadium, several coaches were unhappy that Minneapolis hosted media days. Goodman also predicted a lower media turnout, and he was right.

I don’t understand why he was right, though. Harder to grab a direct flight to Minny than Chicago or Indianapolis, I guess. And as one Minnesotan told me, COVID hit Minneapolis’ night life harder than other cities'.

But so what? I tend to agree with what Shrewsberry said at his main podium session Wednesday morning:

“When you're in the best league in the country, you go to different places,” he said. “I'm biased, right? I'm from Indianapolis. I wish I could go home every single time because my parents are there.

"Chicago is a great town where our tournament is going to be. Great basketball people there. There's good basketball here in Minnesota, as well.”

Whining about job perks — like the free food and travel — happens too often in the sports/sports media sector. Ugly optics.